How to make 2018 your safest year yet

With the final few days of January finally here, it’s time to take stock on those New Year’s resolutions you set back at the beginning of the month. Are you still smashing the gym 5 times a week like you promised yourself you would? Have you ticked any more destinations off that travel bucket list you’ve been growing yet? No matter how far along you are with your goals or targets, we want to highlight the importance of making sure you’re staying safe while carrying them out.

It’s always worth doing some research into companies like Slater & Gordon Lawyers to make sure professional help is at hand should you find yourself facing personal injury issues. However we wanted to offer some of our own advice first to hopefully prevent you from reaching this point. So whether you’re relaxing at home with the family, busy working away in the office or out and about in the fresh air or on four wheels, consider taking the following precautionary measures to ensure 2018 is your safest year yet.

At home

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to carry out home improvement projects and DIY tasks. While this can be a lot of fun, it can also be extremely dangerous if you aren’t taking all of the necessary safety measures. So if you are planning on carrying out any interior design projects this year, make sure you follow this advice:

Read instruction manuals carefully when using tools

Wear protective eyewear and gloves

Don’t be afraid to leave it to the professionals

Experts might say that safety starts at home and it is becoming increasingly important to safeguard the place where you relax at night. Make it your mission to regularly test your smoke/fire alarm this year and replace batteries immediately when needs be. If you don’t already have burglar alarms and a carbon monoxide detector installed, put this on the top of your priority list too.

In the office

You may not think sitting at your desk is posing much of a safety risk to anybody and in the grand scheme of things, it’s not but there are a number of things you can do to become much safer at work. Obviously these things vary from work environment to work environment – an office workers isn’t going to be under the same risk as somebody working on a landfill site for example – but these are some basic steps everybody should be taking:

Brush up on your health & safety contract regulations and adhere to them

Become First Aid trained (some workplaces will offer this)

Be aware of the hazards around you and your colleagues

Take near misses seriously and take action to help prevent reoccurrence

Hold regular meetings to discuss workplace safety measures

When you’re out and about

For many people, improving health and fitness or losing weight is one of their main goals when entering a brand new year. A great way to do this is by cycling instead of jumping in the car or catching a bus. If you are going to swap four wheels for two, make sure you check the breaks on your bike, ensure you’re wearing a helmet and wear reflective items in the dark. If you can’t avoid travelling by car, there are a number of things you should be checking regularly there too including tyre tread depth, tyre air pressure, bulbs and batteries.

If you prefer to get about on foot, that doesn’t mean the safety of yourself and others should have to take the back seat. If you’re walking or running in the dark to up your fitness levels, make sure you wear reflective clothing or accessories. Be sure to check the weather forecast before heading out and make sure you’re wearing appropriate clothing and footwear. As the warmer months slowly creep in, place extra emphasis on topping up your water levels and staying well hydrated.

If you have any of your own tips and advice on staying safe when going about your daily routine, come and join the conversation on Twitter by tagging @SlaterGordonUK and using the hashtag #MySafestYearYet.